By Michael Kaplan and Jonah Kaplan
April 27, 2026 / 4:18 PM EDT / CBS News
Four Democratic senators are investigating whether the Pentagon left U.S. troops at a command post in Kuwait without sufficient protection ahead of an Iranian drone attack that killed six American service members and wounded more than 20.
The probe follows CBS News reporting in which soldiers stationed at the base said they were left dangerously exposed at a location that was a known potential target for Iranian drones. Members of the targeted unit, speaking publicly for the first time earlier this month, provided a detailed account of the March 1 attack that occurred on the first day of a conflict that has extended into a monthslong confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal and Mark Kelly questioned Pentagon preparations and whether the administration “failed to protect Americans in the region from Iranian retaliation.” At a press conference the day after the strike, Hegseth described the drone as a “squirter” that “happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these were powerful weapons.”
Survivors from the Army’s 103rd Sustainment Command disputed that characterization. “Painting a picture that ‘one squeaked through’ is a falsehood,” one injured soldier told CBS News. “I want people to know the unit … was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position.”
The tactical operations center resembled structures common in Iraq and Afghanistan: tin buildings surrounded by steel-reinforced concrete barriers known as T-walls, which are intended to protect against mortar and rocket blasts but offer little defense against aerial attacks. Video of the strike’s aftermath shows smoke and fires; survivors described severe shrapnel wounds and traumatic head injuries among their fellow soldiers.
The senators are seeking documents and information about risk assessments for the Kuwaiti site before the start of the war. One soldier said he had seen intelligence listing the post as a potential Iranian target. Warren said in a statement, “Secretary Hegseth sent our troops to fight in Iran, refused to take basic steps to protect them, and then tried to cover up his failures when service members died. Hegseth’s leadership has been one betrayal after another — he must be held accountable.”
The Defense Department declined to comment, citing an active investigation. Assistant Secretary of Defense Sean Parnell said on X that “every possible measure has been taken to safeguard our troops — at every level.” Hegseth is scheduled to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday after appearing before a House panel Wednesday.